With Friends Like These
by Richie S
Summary: Furious Ming worries about Dawn Star's future. Furious MingSilk Fox, hinted at SkyDawn Star.


Furious Ming, pondered his dilemma for a moment, his dilemma being his childhood friend Dawn Star. Having just secured Minister Shen a promotion, helping the hapless but enduring prostitute Gentle Breezes to earn her freedom and deposing of that grotesque freak Judge Fang, Ming felt that he was crafty enough to come up with a solution to his conundrum. How this thing start anyway? From as far back as he could remember Dawn Star had been his best friend, no more than that, she had been a sister to him. He glanced at her now, she was sitting down with Wild Flower playing some kind of game and laughing about some silly joke Wild Flower had told even though nobody over the age of eleven probably found it funny, yet Dawn Star laughed anyway just to make Wild Flower feel accepted. That is part of what Ming loved about Dawn Star and also why Ming was so worried about her. Dawn Star had both the touching and troubling tendency to always think about others and put their welfare before hers with no thought to herself and here lied the problem.

On the way back from the Imperial Arena Dawn Star had confided in Ming about her personal opinion of Silk Fox/Sun Lian or whatever name the Emperor's daughter wanted to be known by. Ming shared his' friends appraisal that Silk Fox was not only insufferably arrogant and snobbish to those below her lofty station she was also quite fiery and their was no definite way to know she was not some elaborate plant from those who had abducted Master Li. Ming had agreed with Dawn Star whole-heartedly on this but even for the short time he had known Silk Fox for he felt a stirring in his heart… something he never felt before. Even though it may seem as if Silk Fox wanted to push the other party members away, the more repelling she tried to be though more mesmerizing she became to Furious Ming. Sure she was hot-headed and arrogant, but the burden laid upon her by the Natural Order of Things was heavy and she handled it well and when she spoke of her concern about the Empire and its people the look in her eyes was an infinitely sincere combination of concern, devotion and joy. Speaking of Silk Fox's eyes, their increasing tendency to linger on Ming's developed physique mirrored Ming's own admiring glances at certain aspects of the princess' anatomy, which were also growing in their frequency. Then their was that, _hungry_ look the princess had recently began favoring him with, that look that made Ming feel as if he was floating amongst the clouds.

Whatever concerns Dawn Star had brought to him he had to admit that his friend had a legitimate cause for concern. But whatever the concern was, Ming had to admit that Lian was giving him feelings that were definitely a first for him. Oh, this was far from the first women he found attractive, but this was the first time the attraction was so intense and therein lied the problem, Dawn Star was his best friend, like a sister to him. Which brought the conversation she had just had with him to the forefront of his mind, she admitted her reluctance to trust Silk Fox, not necessarily a cardinal sin but what she said next made Ming feel awkwardness he had not felt since puberty. She said that she felt as if Silk Fox and herself were engaged in some kind of heated rivalry. Unsure of what she meant about this and keeping in mind the weighty matters that they had been through as of late he tried to lighten the mood and joked that the two were rivals for his affection. Ming fully thought that Dawn Star would laugh this off and chide him for teasing and that they were just friends.

At first that was exactly what he thought had happen, Dawn Star did laugh and repeated "your affection" in a light-hearted tone and then she repeated it, in a much more serious tone of voice and then she looked at him and he was struck by the way the look was so eerily similar to the looks he and Silk Fox had been trading recently until he suddenly realized that it was the exact same look, a look of _lust_. Dawn Star attracted to him! He thought it would never be possible, they were like siblings any romantic thoughts or encounters between them would be incestuous, or so Ming thought. But here was Dawn Star staring him down right now, not flat out admitting it but implying with her words and definitely saying with her body language that _she_ Dawn Star _wanted_ him! Unthinkable, Dawn Star was like his sister and even having the notion of being in this kind of a relationship with here was sure to be a crime against the Natural Order of Things. Yet it was Dawn Star and not him that was bringing this up. Standing their shocked Ming watched as the look of lust, which appeared so alien on Dawn Star's face morphed into a look of hope. Not wanting to lead on his childhood friends he admitted his feelings to her straight out.

"We are friends Dawn Star and that is all we are. Being with you as if we were lovers would quite frankly be incestuous."

Ming always believed in being honest with people and that by being straight forward with Dawn Star about his feelings would snap her out of this sudden reverie for him. Dawn Star's words may have reinforced his hopes, "I see. I think we have covered all that we need to, let's get back to the others." Her words may have been one of acceptance but Ming was horrified at her facial expression, on Dawn Star's visage was a look of utter shock that soon melted into a look of pain, as if he had just stabbed through her heart with Fortune's Favorite and then for a brief moment her face showed the signs that Ming had long ago learned to associated with weeping. Dawn Star squeezed out a solitary tear before her weeping expression was soon replaced with one Ming had learned at Two Rivers school, the face of a student galvanizing themselves to accomplish a difficult task. Ming was shocked, Dawn Star was his closest friend, he did not want to hurt her, he only wanted to be honest with her and spare her greater hurt later on. Yet that look on her face plunged Ming into an ocean of guilt, Dawn Star had looked destroyed and it was his fault for hurting her.

Ming continued to turn this problem of Dawn Star over in his mind and as a brief distraction allowed himself to list the proactive ways of which the problem could have been avoided in the first place, if only he had told Dawn Star of his feelings earlier she never could have misinterpreted events the way she had. If only he and Silk Fox had some open display of affection amongst the camp the moment she joined the party then Dawn Star could have been let down gently. Having given his mind a few moments rest from this conundrum Ming again returned to the serious issue of how to deal with Dawn Star. She was so selfless and Ming knew that the search for Master Li consumed Dawn Star and that she did not consider what would happen more than five minutes after they were reunited with their master. If only he could find someone to take care of Dawn Star. Dawn Star was still with Wild Flower and she moved to sit up and Ming noticed two other party members offering an appreciative glance at Dawn Star's legs, a discrete glance from Sky and a not-so-discrete glance, more of a stare from the Black Whirlwind. An idea suddenly sprung into Ming's mind while simultaneously a smile sprung on his face.

"Sky, do you have a minute?" Ming asked his thieving friend. "Sure thing, _master_." Sky replied in a mockingly awed voiced. "Sky, you seemed to be giddy in the Imperial City, whether it is from stealing fat purses or romancing indolent nobles I cannot be sure. In any event it is matter of theft, your specialty, so I was hoping you would consider it." Sky was swift in his reply, "Well seeing as we've known each other for the length of a whole week I think it is safe to call you my newest old friend and seeing as we are so close, but even if that wasn't enough the incredible intrigue and tension you have in your voice as well as appealing to my ego, the combination of three is more than enough to convince me to take you up on your offer. So what do you want me to steal, silver, gems, lady's clothing?" Ming chuckled at Sky's spontaneity and said "A women's heart and not just some wealthy nobles, a heart belonging to a nice country girl." Ming followed up his sentence with a smile hoping to con a thief. Ming's smile was met by an unintelligible expression from Sky. Ming was suddenly struck by how ridiculous he sounded and for a moment feared that he had burned his bridges until Sky finally spoke up with uncharacteristic dryness "If this is about you, Silk Fox and Dawn Star, I'm staying out. I love causing trouble but this is out of my league, if you have problems solve them yourself." Ming was quick with his reply, with oozing charm he replied "Who said anything about Dawn Star! This is about a nice girl, a girl I know well, she will grow on you like… moss on a…. tree" Ming finally sighed at how unromantic that analogy sounded and bowed his head. "Lying is not your forte, my good man" was Sky's only reply. Considering the miserable failure charm had been Ming that honesty would be his best bet, "Look I may be as subtle as a horse's ass or the Black Whirlwind but I love Dawn Star, as a _sister_. Getting close to her would be like incest and I am worried about her future. She never thinks about herself so she is always finding herself in trouble and…" Ming suddenly found himself stuttering and his mind raced to come up with a solution, "I am not sure what love is, but what I feel for Silk Fox I have never felt for anyone before, ever. I might be ignorant as to what love is but Silk Fox is the closest I have ever been to love so for the sake of a fellow man who has known love, please at least hear me out." As Ming finished his last sentence Sky's eyes closed and a look of pain crossed his face, similar to the one Sky wore during their first encounter, except this time the anger was gone and this time it was just pain. Releasing a sigh at his perceived loss, Ming suddenly realized the mask of pain had become bittersweet. Slowly opening his eyes with a sad smile and tea trickling down his cheek Sky let out a long sigh before asking "What do you want me to do?" With a heart overflowing with gratitude that surely flowed over his face, Ming approached his friend and laid out his plans before his friend.


End file.
